Message: No One Too Small to See

Today’s Gospel reading tells what happened when Jesus passed through the city of Jericho. Jericho was one of the oldest and wealthiest cities in Palestine. It was also an important customs station in the fertile region of Judea. There lived a man named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and a rich man.

The Roman Empire ruled the Jewish people through fear and oppression. Heavy taxes, social division, and unfair treatment kept people in poverty. But there were worse people than Roman soldiers. They were the tax collectors. They worked for Rome and often used their position to take more than they were required to. They became rich while others suffered. 

The tax collectors of that time were similar to the Capos described by Viktor Frankl (1905-1997) in his book Man’s Search for Meaning. Frankl, a survivor of Auschwitz, wrote about Capos-prisoners who worked for the Nazis in the camps. They watched over other prisoners and were given small privileges in return. To keep their comfort, they acted harshly. Frankl noted, “Often they were harder on the prisoners than were the guards, and beat them more cruelly than the SS men did.” This is how evil controls people. It breaks human dignity and divides people from one another. In the same way, Rome used tax collectors to control the Jewish people. 

As the chief tax collector, Zacchaeus had wealth and authority. But in his mind there was no true peace or happiness. He was despised by his neighbours and isolated in his guilt. He could buy anything, but he could not buy love or friendship. He knew that wealth alone does not make life meaningful.

In fact, his name Zacchaeus means “innocent” or “righteous”. That name was given to him when he was born. But this truth does not apply only to him. Every person is born with something good and pure inside. No one is born evil. But some lose their way. They lie, they exploit, and they justify it by saying, “The world is cruel. I have no choice.” They harm others and call it success. They gain wealth by dishonest means and call it ability.

However, even the most corrupt person still carries a spark of goodness. Even those who have lost their way still have a desire to return to what is right. For Zacchaeus, that desire awakened when he heard about Jesus. Jesus was known as a friend to all. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and welcomed the outcasts. He had even called a tax collector named Levi to be his disciple. Jesus said that everyone is precious to God and that God rejoices when the lost are found.

Through hearing the story of Jesus, something within his heart began to change. He started to wonder if Jesus might have what he needed to fill the emptiness inside him. Then came the news that Jesus was passing through Jericho, and he could hardly wait to see him.

But there was a problem. It was the crowd. He knew that people would not let him get close to Jesus. Luke describes Zacchaeus as “short in stature.” This phrase has two meanings. It can mean short in height, but it can also mean low in social standing. Zacchaeus was likely small both in body and reputation. Here, his poor reputation is what stands out most. If Zacchaeus had been respected, his height would not have mattered, because people would have gladly made room for him to see. But they did not. No one wanted to make space for him to see Jesus.

Nevertheless, Zacchaeus really wanted to see Jesus. So he climbed a sycamore tree. From there, he looked down the road, filled with excitement, but also with fear. He wondered what might happen if Jesus noticed him. What if Jesus looked at him with the same contempt as everyone else? Would he be shamed in front of the crowd? Still, he waited. Deep inside, he longed to be seen.

Then Jesus arrived. He stopped under the tree, looked up, and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down. I must stay at your house today.” In that moment, everything changed. For Jesus, no one is too small to see.

Zacchaeus was amazed. Jesus knew his name. He knew Zacchaeus’s reputation. He knew that he was a sinner, a man who had betrayed his own people. Yet instead of blaming him, Jesus called him by his name. He invited him to come down to where the crowd was standing. He said that he would stay at Zacchaeus’s home. The house that everyone had avoided became a place where grace could enter.

Luke writes, “He hurried down and was happy to welcome him.” That happiness was something money could never give. It was the joy of being seen and accepted. Then Zacchaeus said to Jesus, “Look, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor. And if I have cheated anyone, I will repay four times as much.” Jesus did not ask for anything. It was a response of love. Grace gave him the courage to make things right. Zacchaeus found again the meaning of his name. He was once more innocent and righteous.

This happiness was not Zacchaeus’s alone. Jesus was also filled with joy. Before he came to Jericho, he had met another rich man who had kept all the commandments. But when Jesus told him to sell his possessions and follow him, the man went away sad. Jesus was disappointed and said, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

Zacchaeus was different. He chose to change. He responded to grace with action. Jesus rejoiced and said, “Today salvation has come to this house.” The impossible had happened. The camel had passed through the eye of the needle, not through judgment or criticism, but through gentle presence filled with love.

The Bible does not tell us what happened afterward. In the early church, some said that Zacchaeus later became a bishop in Caesarea. Whether this is true or not, his life was never the same. Meeting Jesus had shaped the rest of his days.

Even so, faith can weaken with time. There may have been days when Zacchaeus felt weary, discouraged, or tempted to return to the familiar patterns of his old life. The burdens of the world, the whispers of his past mistakes, and the weight of his reputation could have made him question whether he could truly live differently. 

On those days, perhaps he returned to the sycamore tree, the very place where everything had changed for him. As he placed his hand on its rough bark, he would remember the moment when Jesus looked up and called him by name. The tree became more than just a tree. It was a living reminder of God’s unconditional love. In its shade, Zacchaeus would find renewed courage and strength, giving him the reassurance that he could live faithfully and fully as the person he had been called to be.

For me, the United Church is like that sycamore tree. In my seven years of living in Canada, I have come to know that life as an immigrant is not always easy. I sometimes face misunderstanding and prejudice. I sometimes doubt myself because of language and cultural differences and feel small. Yet this church lifts me up, helping me to see Jesus once more. Through your welcome, your kindness, and your warmth, I have experienced the grace of Christ.

Likewise, I hope our community can be such a tree for everyone who comes. When our faith begins to fade, when the pressures of the world wear us down, or when love and service start to feel heavy, we can come to this place. We can sit quietly in prayer, open our hearts, and listen for the voice that restores our spirit. Here we are seen through the eyes of Christ. Here we hear the voice that calls us by name and invites us to live fully once more.

Then this church will be more than just a building. It will become a living place of grace where all can encounter the presence of Jesus Christ. It will be a place where the weary find rest, the lost are welcomed, and the broken are made whole. Here, each of us can hear the voice of Christ saying, “Come down, for I must stay at your house today.” In this space, no one will be overlooked or ignored. No matter how small they may feel, all will be seen and embraced.

May we climb our own sycamore trees here and meet the eyes of the One who sees us. For in the sight of Jesus, no one is too small to see.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

Rev. Min Hwang